Oh, don't turn this around. This is true. It is true for pianists in Spain, for athletic swimmers in Oklahoma, and for football players in Argentina. Child exploitation is a thing. Perhaps not self-overwork, but this is what society asks of them.
There's this thing in progressivism, where we should be more rested and have more leisure. I sorta agree insofar as it is sustainable, but if the right-wing politicians exploit themselves, we must keep up too. We can't fight a tank with a sunflower for now, I think. We can't fight populism with 3 hour talks.
So no, I deny there exists, at least more than anecdotically, this fog of mystery surrounding Korean players. Indeed, many lower ranks, may admire and find a new interest in their culture thanks to popular figures like that.